CONWAY, Ark. _ Junior right hander Chris Caudle allowed just one earned run in 8 1/3 innings Friday night and the Bears turned 12 hits into a 11-3 rout of the McNeese State Cowboys in Southland Conference action at Bear Stadium.

    UCA (20-15, 9-8) beat McNeese (20-17, 10-7) for the second consecutive night to win the series for the second year in a row. Sophomore designated hitter Matt Anderson went 3 for 4 for the Bears, while senior Doug Votolato went 2 for 3 and scored three runs, and junior Nate Ferrell was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. Sophomore seconnd baseman Chris Townsend had just one hit but knocked in three runs, while catcher Charles Deckard added a pair of RBI.

    The Bears led 1-0 after the first inning after Ferrell's RBI single scored Votolato, then piled on six runs in the second inning against McNeese starter Michael Clemens (4-2), who lasted only two innings and took the loss. The Cowboys' trio of pitchers walked five and hit five batters, including Carson Dowdle twice. 

    In the second, Townsend brought in two runs with a base hit and Ferrell, Treece and Deckard added RBI in the frame. After McNeese got two runs back in the third, UCA put up two more in the fourth with RBI singles from Deckard and Anderson.

    Sophomore right fielder Tyler Langley added his team-high third home run in the fifth inning, and Townsend added a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the 11-3 margin. Caudle improved to 6-3, allowing 11 hits but only one for extra bases. He struck out three and walked three. Bo Stitch got the final two outs of the game on a pair of fly balls.

    Designated hitter Billy Sommers went 3 for 5 for the Cowboys, who entered the game in a six-way tie for first place in the SLC. McNeese has now lost four straight games and six of its last seven games. UCA won  its third consecutive SLC game. 

    Game 3 of the series is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.